Bonding Bill Follies

So yesterday afternoon, I got an email from a reader who had seen my prior posts on the bonding bill and said "you might be interested into what the real priorities were" in the City of St. Paul. The email included two PDF files. The first was on City of St. Paul letter head and bore the title "City of St. Paul 2008 Legislative Agenda - Top Priorities" Included in these priorities were the following.

Central Corridor: The Legislature must identify and commit $280 million in state funds for the Central Corridor this session. Failure to do so will result in significant and costly delays. The City of Saint Paul supports Ramsey County and Met Council’s request for this project.

Five Capital Projects: The City of Saint Paul has several capital projects that will improve service to residents and visitors throughout the state. The Legislature should fund the following:
Minnesota’s Event District - $41.25 million state loan forgiveness & $43 million in state bonds
Como Zoo Gorillas Exhibit - $11 million
SPORTS Initiative - $15 million for Midway Stadium renovation and $10 million for soccer park
National Great River Park - $3.8 million for Upper Landing Revetment and $6.0 million for Bruce Vento and Lilydale Regional Park
Asian Pacific Cultural Center - $5 million

So out of a bonding bill of $925 million dollars, the City of St. Paul specifically asked for $362.05 million of it! That is over 1/3 of the total bonding bill....and they cry because they bore the brunt of the cuts?????

While most of the bonding bill items were indeed removed, the $41.25m in debt forgiveness and the $43m in state bonds are still on the table.

So the City of St. Paul wants the rest of the state to pay for their toys? Mayor Coleman.....I need a new car...how about I get the legislature to make you buy that for me? I think that's fair...don't you?????